Time division system for modulated pulse transmission



Patented Nov. 21, 1950 TIME DIVISION SYSTEM FOR MODULATED Y PULSE TRANSMISSION George W. Gilman, Summit, N. Si., assignor to Beil Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 5, 1947, Serial No. 739,719

Claims. (Cl. 179-15) This invention relates to pulse transmission systems and particularly to systems for communicating by pulse modulation, either of the single channel or time-division multiplex types.

In pulse modulation systems a signal to be transmitted is employed to vary or modulate some characteristic of the pulses of a series of recurrent pulses.

It is usual to employ a single communication link for the transmission of a plurality of messages by the pulse modulation method through the application of the principle of time division multiplex.V For this purpose, additional series of pulses are interposed in the intervals between the pulses required for the transmission of a single message. Thus, for example, if it is desired to send four separate messagesv using pulse modulation on a time division basis, the pulses of three additional series are interposed between the individual pulses of the series required for the transmission of one message. The group of four pulses representing one sample of each of the four message channels is often referred to as a frame In multiplex systems of this type relatively complex circuits have been required at the receiving station` to distribute the inter-laced pulses of the several messages to the appropriate output circuits and to synchronize the operation of the receiving equipment with that of the transmitting equipment to insure that such a distribution is maintained. Such circuits, of course, add to the complexity of the equipment and to a certain extent reduce its reliability since failure of the synchronizing circuit disrupts the entire system.

In pulse modulation systems, the receiving apparatus is made responsive to the variations in.

the characteristic of the pulses produced at the transmitter. It will be understood, therefore, that noise conditions due to atmospheric disturbances or other causes may result in pulselike bursts of energy which may produce distortion or other types of failure by causing false operation of the receiving equipment.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a pulse transmission system in which the channel or message pulses are readily distinguishable from other pulses or from noise.

Another object of the invention is to facilitate the sepa-ration of pulses in time division multiplex systems which employ separate pulses for transmitting different information or intelligence.

A further object of the invention is to substantially eliminate inter-channel crosstalk or noise in multichannel pulse communication systems.

Additional objects of the invention are to provide a pulse modulation communication system which is relatively unaffected by pulses 0f the type encountered in random noise, and vto provide a multichannel pulse modulation Vsystem which does not require the use of synchronized circuits at the receiving station.

Considering the invention as applied to a pulse transmission system of the time division multiplcx type, each of the signals or messages to be transmitted is caused to modulate the pulses of one series of a number of interlaced series of recurrent pulses. Each of the individual pulses of each series is then replaced by a sequence of pulses arranged in accordance with a different time code, all of the pulses of each sequence being modulated together in the same fashion ,as the single pulse which they replace.

At the receiver, the sequences are applied tto selection or separation circuits Which are re spectively responsive only to sequences of the corresponding time code employed at the transmitter. Each of these separation circuits rejects, or produces no output for, pulse sequences arranged according to time codes other than that for which it is designed. Similarly, the separation circuits produce no output in responsel to random pulses such as those produced by atmospheric conditions.

The invention is shown and described herein by Way of a specific example as applied. to a fourchannel time division multiplex system employing pulse position modulation. In this method of modulation, the instantaneous amplitude of each message signal is sampled and the sampled amplitude in each instance is employed to control the time of occurrence of the individual pulses of a pulse series, the pulse series for the several messages being interlaced to permit the use of time division multiplex.

The above and other features of the invention will be further described in the following detailed description taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

Figs. l and 2 are diagrammatic representan tions taken on a common time base of typical pulse sequences for a four-channel multiplex system and show the sequences without and With position modulation, respectively; and

Fig. 3 is a block schematic diagram of a communication system in accordance with the invention. l l

tration but is not necessarily the most desirable for all applications. Bearing in mind that multipulse sequences occupy channel time which might otherwise be employed for additional message channels, itis desirable to attain'the-maximum possible number of sequences for a given overall sequence length. In general this may best be accomplished by using the same number of pulses in each of the sequences.

Atime division multiplex system based on the --four-channel sequences-shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown in Fig. 3. Messages from channels I, 2, 3

fi-and 4 are applied to time division multiplex and lpulse position modulatorv unit It! which may be *similar to the equipment shown in Deloraine "Patent No.` 2,262,838, issued November 18, 1941. In units of this type a series of pulsesis provided VUVfor each individual channel and the several series are relatively displaced in time in such #a Way that the individual pulses of the several "series areY interlaced and all of the pulses sent over a common communication link. Message signals in the channels are effective to Vary or modulate the positions or times of occurrence of the pulses in the corresponding series of pulses and the pulse position modulated series oi pulses for message channels I, Y2, 3 and l appear on leads 12, Id, pulses for each channel are applied to sequenceV i5 and I8, respectively. These generating circuits comprising delay networks :rand pulse amplifiers and arranged to produce a sequence of pulses,lspaced in laccordance with a desiredtime code,in responseto each pulse Vappearing across the output leads of modulator..

'-'IU for the'channel involved.

f In message channel I, for example, the sequence employed, asshown in Fig. 1 comprises three pulses, the first interpulse interval, meas- `ured between corresponding portions of the :pulses being two microseconds 'and the second interval one microsecond. "Accordingly, the

.f .pulses from output leads AI2 of multiplexv unit iii -fare applied to a pulse amplier v andv to a twomicrosecond delay network22 which may be of the type disclosed in'' the i patent to Smith `f 2,403,561, July '9, 1946 ori-in Wave Forms, voll-"ume 19, Radiation 4I iaboratories Seriesgchapter v22, 'sections 28 and`f29. Conveniently; all of the '-delay lines employedin this embodiment of the invention may be of the samev type,` diering *only in electrical length. The delayed pulses from network 22 'are applied to a pulse amplii iier'24 and to a one-microsecond delay network 26. vThe delayed pulses from-network 2li are ap- .'lplied to a pulse amplifier 28 and the output circuits of pulse ampliiiers-Zil, 21i'and 28 are connected in parallel. Thus for each pulse appearing at the output I2 of multiplex unit It a sen `quence of three pulses spaced as shown inFig. 1, channel I, will beproduced across the common output circuit'of pulse ampliers 2t, 24 and f2s.

.In'this'sequ'enca a single'lpulse will occur -at the `..:..t,ime-`of the pulse at terminals I2.

followed after two microseconds by a'fsec'ondf This will be This particular arrangement of sequences is used by way of illus- Y 4 pulse which in turn will be followed after one microsecond by a third pulse. Thus each position modulated pulse occurring at the output of the multiplex unit is converted into a sequence of the type shown in Fig. 1 for channel I. Since the time of occurrence of the sequence is determined bythe single-pulseapplied to the delay circuits, thesequencesare position modulated in the same way as the single pulses from' which lthey are produced.

The equipment for generating the sequences for channels 2, 3 and 4 in response to the single pulses appearing at outputs I4, I5 and IS of multiplex unit-i5 is generally similar to the equipmentwhich has already been described. Thus,

for 'channel.2, the pulses at output lil are applied *i to a one-microsecond delay network 3@ and a pulse Aamplifier '32. The pulses from delay net- -Workfv delayed one microsecond with respect to the pulses at the output Iii of multiplex unit Ill, Yare appliedto pulselamplier 34 and atwoi microsecondwdelay Anetwork-36 and the` output -f pulses from this delay network are applied toV pulse amplifier 33. The 'outputsofw amplifiers 32,V 34 and 38 are `connected in parallel and in parallel with the output of the-Y sequence generating circuits of channel I.

In similar fashion the pulse-sequencesfor channel 3 are generated from the single pulses at the output I offthe multiplex unit by application to a riive-microsecond'delay network lll) and pulseamplier 42. The 'delayed pulses Vfrom delaynetwork lis-are applied to aY pulse ampliier 44 and the yparallel outputs of` the two pulse amplifiers` are connected in parallel with each other andwith the outputs ofthe sequence generating I'equipment for channels IA and 2.

'The sequence off-pulses for channel 4 are generated by equipment substantiallyidenticalfto that describedabove for channel sand includes a delay network 4t and pulse ampliiier i8 and 50. This equipmentfdifiers from that tor channel 3 only in that delay network 25 introduces a delay of four microseconds.

Since the interlaced series of Apulses appearing at `outputs I 2, I4, I 6- and -I 3 f ofjmultiplex unit I Ei are separately time position modulated in accord- .ance With' the messages inthe-four channels,y the sequences -producedby the circuits justv described are correspondingly time position modulated; the pulses of any sequence being identically displaced.

f Fig.. 1 indicatesthe.appearance'of a single frame fofpulsefsequences 'for thefour channels without modulation, While Fig. Z'showsthe' same sequences tions of modulation in each channel.

1 The `pulse sequences for-1 the'A several channels which a'train oi 'radio frequency oscillations is generated-'in response to each pulse. 'These trains are'transmitted rom'an antennai to the receiv- 1ing` station where theyare received byv a second 'antenna 56.-"Atl the receivingstation the trains `quence h'avingpuls'es spaced inaccordance with of radio frequency oscillations are ueiectedinreceiver 'ES-which'ope'rat'es inconventional fashion *and the vresulting'sequence pulses are applied in lparallel to video ampliers 6B', G2, 65. and 56.' The output pulsfespf Yeach ofthe video '-ampliers are applied to a combining'or selecting circuit which actsto producefan'utput 'pulse whenever a se- 'Y the propen'predetermined time code is vapplied sequences of other code arrangements.

asados? in Fig. 3 effectively perform this function by combining the pulses of a sequence of the proper type in two steps. For this purpose, the output of video amplifier 68 is applied to one input of a coincidence detector 62 and to a delay network 84 which serves to delay the pulses of the sequence by two microseconds, this delay being equal to the first time interval of the sequence shown for channel in Figs. l and 2. The delayed sequence from network cli is applied to the other input of coincidence detector 62.

Coincidence detector 62 may be of the type described at pages 61 and 62 of Electrical Counting by W. B. Lewis, Cambridge 1942. As applied here, this circuit comprises a pair of vacuum tubes 68 and |58 which may conveniently be .of the triode type. The anodes of these vacuum tubes are connected together and through a common load resistor 'E8 of relatively high resistance to the positive terminal of anode battery 12, the cathodes of the two tubes being connected together and to the negative terminal of the same battery. The grids of the two tubes are connected respectively through resistors 'i4 and lli and bias batteries 'I8 and 8D to the negative terminal of battery rl2, and input signals from video amplier 60 and delay circuit @Il respectively are applied to the grids of vacuum tubes 6B and ES through coupling capacitors 82 and 84.

The bias potentials from batteries 18 and Bil are such that the internal resistances of tubes 65 and 68 are low compared to that of the common resistor 1D. Under normal conditions, then, the anode potential of the tubes will be low as com pared to the potential of anode battery l2. The negative pulses :from video amplifier iii) or from delay circuit 6d are effective to cut ofi the flow of current through tubes 65 and E8, respectively but so long as one of these tubes does not receive such a negative pulse the anode potential must remain low as compared to that of battery l2. If a negative pulse applied directly from video amplier 68 coincides with a negative pulse from delay circuit 64, however,` the anodes of both tubes rise to the battery potential and a relatively large positive pulse will appear across load resistor le. In the absence of such coincidences the pulses across resistor 1E! are much smaller. Pulses appearing across load resistor i0 are applied to an amplifier 86 which is responsive only to the large pulses produced when Ia coincidence occurs. This amplier is arranged to produce negative output pulses. Thus, if pulse sequences of the time spacing shown in Fig. l appears at the output oi video amplifier 68, a single pulse of negative polarity will appear at the output of amplifier 86 in response to each received sequence. If on the other hand the pulse sequences h-ave other spacings such that no coincidences can occur after a twomicrosecond delay, there will be no output from amplifier 86.

`The single negative pulse from amplier 86 is applied to a second delay circuit 88 which introduces a delay of one microsecond, this corresponding to the second time interval of the pulse put signals of coincidence detector 98 are applied toa second amplier 52 which is responsive to input pulses of the amplitude produced by coincidences in coincidence detector 98. The single pulse which appears at the output of amplifier 92 is indicative cf the reception of a sequence, the pulses of which are spaced in accordance with the particular time code for which this receiving equipment is designed.

Since the positions of all of the pulses of a sequence are modulated together, it will be understood that pulses which appear at the output of amplier 92 are time position modulated in the same fashion. These pulses are applied to a pulse position demodul-ator 94 which may conveniently be of the type disclosed in Deloraine Patent 2,262,838 referred to above.

The separation circuits for channel 2 are identical in all `respects tothose in channel I with the exception that delay network 9B, corresponding to delay network 64 introduces a delay of one microsecond, while delay network 98, corresponding to delay network 88, introduces a delay of two microseconds. Thus, if a pulse sequence coded for channel I is applied to the separation circuit for channel 2 no coincidences between delayed and undelayed sequences can occur and there will be no output. Conversely, the pulse sequences for channel 2 are not so coded as to produce an output from the channel I separation circuits.

The separation circuits for channels 3 and 4 are somewhat simpler than those for channels and 2 because of the smaller number of pulses employed in the corresponding sequences but the various elementsmaking up the circuits are essentially identical in their operation to those described in connection with channel il. Thus in channel 3 the negative sequences from video amplier 82 are applied to one input of a coincidence detector |06 and through a ve-microsecond delay network |82 to the other input of the same coincidence detector. Amplier |04v is responsive only to inputs of the amplitude produced by coincidence detector |38 when coincidence of input pulses occur and it will be understood that the sequences of channels I and 2 having no interpulse time equal to five microseconds will be ineffective to produce any output in channel 3. Similarly, the twoand onemicrosecond delays of channel I and the oneand two-microsecond delays of channel 2 are such that the two pulse sequences of channel 3 which are separated by five microseconds can produce no coincidences and therefore no output in channels I and 2.

The separation circuit for channel 4 is identical to that for channel 3 with the exception that the delay network I 86 corresponding to delay network |02 introduces a delay of only four microseconds. In this case also, none of the pulse sequences employed for the other channels can produce any output since none of them include an interval between any pulses equal to four microseconds.

From the above description it will be understood that the pulse sequences of the four channels of Fig. 3 which are applied in parallel to the four separation circuits are effective to produce responses only in the separation circuits designed respectively to receive them. Thus separation of the channels of the multiplex is effected without the use of any timing or synchronizing equipment at the receiver.

Separation circuits at the receiver and sequence generating circuits at the transmitter may be added to the system of Fig. 3 as required to increase the number of channels, the limit of the number of channels being determined by the as a group in accordance with a signal to be transmitted, means for transmitting said pulse sequences, means at the receiver for subjecting the pulses of each transmitted sequence to a delay corresponding to the rst time interval of said code, a coincidence detector for comparing the delayed and undelayed sequences and producing a pulse output whenever pulses of the delayed and undelayed sequences coincide, coincidence detectors for each succeeding time interval of said sequences, means for delaying the pulse output from each preceding coincidence detector by an amount corresponding to the next time interval of said code, means for applying such delayed pulse output to the next coincidence detector for comparison with the undelayed sequence, said coincidence detectors each producing a pulse out- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,272,070 Reeves Febi. 3, 1942 2,403,561 Smith July 9, 1946 2,412,974 Deloraine Dec. 24, 1946 2,428,118 Labin Sept. 30, 1947 

